Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

A few more weeks had passed.

Life had settled into a comfortable rhythm.

Work. Home. Baby preparations.

Repeat.

The nursery was almost finished now.

Dark wood furniture filled the room exactly the way Daisy wanted.

A beautiful crib stood against one wall.

Shelves were lined with children's books.

Tiny pink clothes hung neatly in the wardrobe.

The room no longer looked like a spare bedroom.

It looked like a nursery.

Like somewhere a baby would actually live.

Daisy stood in the middle of it holding a tiny pink sleepsuit she'd just unpacked from yet another online order.

Apparently pregnancy had turned her into someone who bought baby clothes at two in the morning.

She wasn't entirely sure how that had happened.

A soft smile crossed her face as she folded the little outfit and placed it inside a drawer.

Her daughter.

The thought still felt unreal sometimes.

Then her phone rang.

Harper.

Daisy smiled immediately.

Her sister called all the time.

Sometimes for important reasons.

Usually not.

Without even checking the time, Daisy answered.

"You're becoming obsessed with me."

Silence.

Immediately her smile disappeared.

"Harper?"

All she could hear was noise.

Voices.

Movement.

A siren.

Then breathing.

Fast.

Panicked.

Fear shot through Daisy instantly.

She stood so quickly she nearly knocked over an open box.

"Harper?"

Her sister tried to speak.

Failed.

Then finally—

"Daisy..."

The fear in her voice made Daisy's stomach drop.

"What happened?"

"I—"

A sob interrupted her.

Then Daisy heard it.

An ambulance siren.

Very close.

Very loud.

Her entire body went cold.

"Theo."

Just hearing his name made everything worse.

"What happened to Theo?"

Harper couldn't answer.

She was crying too hard.

Doctor instincts immediately took over.

"Harper, listen to me. I need you to put one of the paramedics on the phone."

A few seconds later another voice appeared.

"This is Paramedic Lewis."

Daisy was already grabbing her handbag and keys.

"What are his vitals?"

The paramedic paused.

"Who am I speaking to?"

"Dr. Daisy Miller. Theo is my nephew. Tell me what's happening."

The answer came quickly.

"Six-year-old male. Severe abdominal pain. Fever. Vomiting twice. Significant tenderness in the lower right abdomen."

Daisy closed her eyes briefly.

No.

Please no.

Her mind immediately went to the most likely diagnosis.

Appendicitis.

"What are his observations?"

The paramedic read them out.

Heart rate elevated.

Temperature high.

Pain worsening.

Everything pointed in the same direction.

Daisy felt sick.

Not because she was worried as a doctor.

Because she was worried as Theo's aunt.

There was a huge difference.

"Which hospital are you taking him to?"

"Mount Sinai Pediatric."

Relief flickered briefly.

At least she knew everyone there.

"I'll meet you there."

The call ended.

Within seconds Daisy was rushing through her apartment.

The nursery disappeared behind her.

The tiny clothes.

The blankets.

The crib she'd spent hours choosing.

None of it mattered.

Not right now.

All she could think about was Theo.

Sweet little Theo.

The boy who somehow made every story sound like an action movie.

The child who could make an entire room laugh.

The little boy who once announced at Thanksgiving that he'd become an astronaut, a dinosaur trainer, and a firefighter all at the same time.

Fear twisted painfully inside her chest.

Outside, Manhattan blurred around her.

Traffic lights.

Car horns.

Crowded sidewalks.

None of it mattered.

A taxi finally pulled over.

Daisy climbed inside.

"Mount Sinai."

The driver glanced at her pale face in the mirror.

"You okay?"

"No."

The answer came immediately.

The driver wisely didn't ask any more questions.

As the cab pushed through traffic, Daisy rested a hand against her stomach.

The baby shifted gently beneath her palm.

One child growing safely inside her.

Another on his way to hospital.

Tears threatened unexpectedly.

She blinked them away.

Theo was strong.

He'd be okay.

He had to be okay.

The taxi turned onto the hospital road.

The emergency entrance appeared ahead.

Daisy could already see flashing ambulance lights.

Her heart sank.

The ambulance had arrived before her.

Which meant Harper was already inside.

Already scared.

Already waiting.

The cab hadn't even fully stopped before Daisy was opening the door.

She handed over cash, barely waiting for change.

Then she ran.

Straight toward the emergency department.

Straight toward her family.

Praying she wasn't too late. ❤️